Carnitas, Black Bean, and Cilantro Lime Rice Burrito Bar

So, my first confession: I LOVE CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL.

I love it. Very very much. I wish I could eat it everyday sometimes.

I can't believe that my husband had never eaten there prior to us dating, but now he's addicted too. He even had two burritos in one sitting, and then I took care of him while he was sick. But regardless we still love it.

Anyway, Chipotle is delicious, but not cuisine to be eaten everyday. There's a calorie calculator but you don't want to use it. Trust me. And I know there's a guy who eats Chipotle everyday and has lost over 90 pounds, but don't do that either.

So my Chipotle love knows no bounds.

For New Year's Eve, I decided that I was going to make a Chipotle-esqe burrito bar. It consisted of carnitas, black beans, cilantro-lime rice, and the various accoutrements like cheese, salsa, tortillas, etc.

I say, big success.

Carnitas in the CrockPot. (adapted from AllRecipes and this magazine recipe thing I got at Raley's.)
*1 tablepoon salt (kosher is preferable)
*1 tablespoon garlic powder or two cloves fresh garlic, finely (very finely) chopped
*1 tablespoon ground cumin (freshly ground if you have a mortle and pestle or whatever)
*1 and 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
*1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
*1 boneless pork shoulder roast (like 4ish pounds)
*2 bay leaves
*2 cups broth (I used turkey broth since I had that made from Christmas turkey but probably any broth would work.)
*1 lime, juiced

Mix spices together in little bowl and rub all over roast thoroughly. Pour broth and bay leaves into crock and place roast on top. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. You can turn it during cooking but I think it's okay if you can't. When it's done cooking, remove roast and shred with two forks. Use the broth to moisten the meat as needed. Squeeze lime over meat and then toss to coat.

Black beans.
*1 lb black beans (about 2 cups)
*lots of water

It's just a basic bean recipe. Cover the beans with water and soak overnight, or quick soak by boiling for 2 minutes and then letting the beans sit for an hour or four. When soaking is done, rinse well and cover with about 6 cups of fresh water and simmer for about 2 hours on the stovetop or like 6-8 hours on low in the crockpot. I like to add some garlic for a little flavor. I'm sure you can substitute canned beans if you're short on time. Adding salt adds more flavor, but if you use dried beans don't add salt until the end of cooking, otherwise the beans won't soften!

Cilantro-Lime Rice. (adapted from ChipotleFan.com)
*1 teaspoon vegetable oil
*2 tablespoon fresh cilantro
*2/3 cup white basmati rice
*1 cup water
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*3 Limes, juiced, or to taste.

In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Add rice and lime juice, stir for 1 minute. Add water and salt, bring to a full rolling boil. At boiling, cover, turn down to simmer over low heat until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Stir in cilantro and fluff rice with a fork.

MMMMMMMM we all liked it lots. A fairly good substitute of Chipotle, but I would prefer to go out because then there are not a lot of dishes to wash! My husband liked it better than Chipotle. My son liked the beans okay, but that's about all he can have since he's only nine months old. Cutting them in half made a great finger food for him. Overall, big success.